SINAGPORE - Police and the Ministry of Social and Family Development are investigating reports that two brothers have been subjected to several years of abuse by their nanny and her children.
The boys, aged nine and 10, were said to have been forced to eat chilli and had it rubbed on their bodies if they refused to wear underwear bought for them by the nanny. They were also made to kneel on a backpack filled with rocks, reports claim.
Reports said the nanny's children were meant to provide tuition. The abusers purportedly launched a campaign of physical abuse that also included twisting the boys' ears until they bled, forcing them to do 1,000 squats, slapping them and throwing their spectacles to the ground if they got questions wrong and flicking them with rubber bands until they cried for help.
The alleged abuse left the elder son's spine curved. As both siblings are minors, none of the parties can be named. The brothers' aunt told Shin Min Daily News her sister is a single mother and she hired the nanny, who lives in the same block in Bukit Panjang, a few years ago.
During last month's school holidays, the boys complained of feeling unwell while visiting relatives in Malaysia. Their mother took them to KK Women's and Children's Hospital upon returning to Singapore - where a doctor discovered wounds and bruises on their bodies and alerted the police.
According to Shin Min, a police report was made on July 4 and this week, the younger brother named the nanny as their abuser. The family took the pair to a psychiatrist. Their aunt said the elder son is angry with his mother for "not protecting them".
The ministry said it will render necessary assistance to ensure the children's welfare.
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